Geminid meteor shower peak to dazzle this weekend
Under perfect conditions, up to 120 meteors per hour could shoot across the night sky this Saturday and Sunday when the Geminids reach their peak.
This weekend’s night sky will feature one of the best meteor showers of the year on Dec. 13-14. The Geminid meteor shower will boast more than 100 meteors per hour for stargazers everywhere.
This year’s Geminid meteor shower peaks this weekend, and skygazers are in for a treat with minimal moonlight during what is considered to be one of the most reliable annual meteor displays of the year.
The Geminids occur every December as Earth passes through debris from 3200 Phaethon, an unusual asteroid, according to NASA. Most meteor showers originate from comets, but while 3200 Phaethon is not a comet, it brightens and forms a tail near the sun, behaving like one.
A single bright meteor from the Geminid meteor shower of December 2017, dropping toward the horizon in Ursa Major Gemini itself and the radiant of the shower is at top centre Leo is just rising at bottom centre Procyon is at upper right I shot this from the Quailway Cottage in southeastern Arizona, on December 12, 2017 It is one frame from a 700-frame sequence for stacking and time-lapses The ground is a mean stack of 8 frames to smooth noise Exposures were 30 seconds at ISO 6400 with the Rokinon 14mm lens at f/25 and Canon 6D MkII. (Photo by: Alan Dyer/VW Pics/UIG via Getty Images)
The shower gets its name from its radiant point, the constellation Gemini, from which the meteors appear to streak across the sky.
Peak meteor activity is forecast for the nights of Dec. 13 and 14. Under perfect conditions — dark, cloudless skies — observers could see up to 120 meteors per hour. A more typical rate is closer to 40 to 50 meteors per hour.
According to NASA, Geminids are fast, traveling around 21 miles per second and often appearing yellow in color.
This meteor shower is a great option for younger stargazers because, at this time of year, it can be viewed before midnight. According to the American Meteor Society, the constellation Gemini reaches a good viewing position high in the sky after 9 p.m. Prime viewing happens between 10 p.m. ET and 2 a.m. ET.
AccuWeather cloud cover forecast for Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025 for the Geminid meteor shower peak.
Skywatchers are in luck this year: The moon will be only about 30% full during the Geminid peak, creating significantly less moonlight to compete with the shooting stars.
However, a winter storm charging into the Northeast will likely block the view for millions, especially across the I-95 Corridor from Washington, D.C. to Boston.
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